The conductor as understood today (as the director of an orchestra, choir, or opera performance with overall artistic responsibility for the “interpretation”) is historically speaking rather a recent phenomenon [3]. In the figured bass period, that is before the mid-18th century, it was usual for the ensemble to be directed from a keyboard instrument, although it was also often done (and still done long after the figured bass era) from the first violin desk. Beating time audibly (with the violin bow or the music scroll on th…
Conductor(710 words)
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Hinrichsen, Hans-Joachim, “Conductor”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 27 September 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_018358>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170206
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